Medical Xpress news tagged with:protein aggregateshttp://medicalxpress.com/
en-usMedical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.Novel regulator inhibits toxic protein aggregates in Huntington's diseaseHuntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by huntingtin protein aggregates in a patient's brain, but how these aggregates form is not well understood. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers developed a novel computational strategy to identify interaction partners of the huntingtin protein and discovered a novel factor that suppresses misfolding and aggregation.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-inhibits-toxic-protein-aggregates-huntington.html
GeneticsThu, 23 Apr 2015 12:00:07 EDTnews349008840New compounds could offer therapy for multitude of diseasesAn international team of more than 18 research groups has demonstrated that the compounds they developed can safely prevent harmful protein aggregation in preliminary tests using animals. The findings raise hope that a new class of drugs may be on the horizon for the more than 30 diseases and conditions that involve protein aggregation, including diabetes, cancer, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-compounds-therapy-multitude-diseases.html
Medical researchMon, 30 Mar 2015 08:00:01 EDTnews346918578Cornell chemists show ALS is a protein aggregation diseaseUsing a technique that illuminates subtle changes in individual proteins, chemistry researchers at Cornell University have uncovered new insight into the underlying causes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-cornell-chemists-als-protein-aggregation.html
NeuroscienceThu, 23 Oct 2014 11:48:47 EDTnews333283718Misfolded proteins clump together in a surprising placeScientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have made a surprising finding about the aggregates of misfolded cellular proteins that have been linked to aging-related disorders such as Parkinson's disease. The researchers report their results in the October 16, 2014 online issue of the journal Cell.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-misfolded-proteins-clump.html
Medical researchThu, 16 Oct 2014 13:10:01 EDTnews332683066A new cellular garbage control pathway with relevance for human neurodegenerative diseasesProteins, the components of our body that execute, control and organize basically all functions in our cells, are made out of strings of amino acids, which – like an origami - are folded into specific and complex three-dimensional structures according to their desired functions. However, since folding and maintaining of such structures is highly sensitive to cellular or environmental stress, proteins can potentially misfold or form clumps (aggregates). Such undesired protein waste can be toxic for cells and may even lead to cell death. Because several human neurodegenerative diseases are known to be linked to an accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates, basic science aimed to understand how cells remove cellular garbage is elementary for designing strategies for a potential prevention or cure of such disorders.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-07-cellular-garbage-pathway-relevance-human.html
Medical researchFri, 18 Jul 2014 12:28:02 EDTnews324905194Protein clusters implicated in neurodegenerative diseases actually serve to protect brain cellsPeople diagnosed with Huntington's disease, most in their mid-thirties and forties, face a devastating prognosis: complete mental, physical, and behavioral decline within two decades. "Mutant" protein clusters, long blamed for the progression of the genetic disease, have been the primary focus of therapies in development by pharmaceutical companies. But according to new research from Prof. Gerardo Lederkremer and Dr. Julia Leitman of Tel Aviv University's Department of Cell Research and Immunology, in collaboration with Prof. Ulrich Hartl of the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, these drugs may not only be ineffective—they may pose a serious threat to patients.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-04-protein-clusters-implicated-neurodegenerative-diseases.html
Medical researchWed, 23 Apr 2014 13:49:57 EDTnews317479738How a small worm may help the fight against Alzheimer's(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne have found that a naturally occurring molecule has the ability to enhance defense mechanisms against neurodegenerative diseases. Feeding this particular metabolite to the small round worm Caenorhabditis elegans, helps clear toxic protein aggregates in the body and extends life span.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-03-small-worm-alzheimer.html
Medical researchFri, 14 Mar 2014 07:28:25 EDTnews314000896New compound for slowing the aging process can lead to novel treatments for brain diseasesA successful joint collaboration between researchers at the Hebrew university of Jerusalem and the startup company TyrNovo may lead to a potential treatment of brain diseases. The researchers found that TyrNovo's novel and unique compound, named NT219, selectively inhibits the process of aging in order to protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases, without affecting lifespan. This is a first and important step towards the development of future drugs for the treatment of various neurodegenerative maladies.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-12-compound-aging-treatments-brain-diseases.html
Medical researchTue, 03 Dec 2013 12:50:03 EDTnews305297391Disrupting an antioxidant pathway prevents heart disease caused by reductive stressUniversity of Utah researchers have found that deficiency of an antioxidant response protein called nuclear erythroid-2 like factor-2 (Nrf2) delays or prevents hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a type of a heart failure in which the heart muscle grows abnormally thick.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-10-disrupting-antioxidant-pathway-heart-disease.html
CardiologyFri, 11 Oct 2013 13:08:11 EDTnews300715677Fluorescent compounds allow clinicians to visualize Alzheimer's disease as it progressesWhat if doctors could visualize all of the processes that take place in the brain during the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease? Such a window would provide a powerful aid for diagnosing the condition, monitoring the effectiveness of treatments, and testing new preventive and therapeutic agents. Now, researchers reporting in the September 18 issue of the Cell Press journal Neuron have developed a new class of imaging agents that enables them to visualize tau protein aggregates, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, directly in the brains of living patients.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-09-fluorescent-compounds-clinicians-visualize-alzheimer.html
NeuroscienceWed, 18 Sep 2013 12:00:03 EDTnews298723809Feeding fruit flies with spermidin suppresses age-dependent memory impairment(Medical Xpress)—Age-induced memory impairment can be suppressed by administration of the natural substance spermidin. This was found in a recent study conducted by Prof. Dr. Stephan Sigrist from Freie Universität Berlin and the Neurocure Cluster of Excellence and Prof. Dr. Frank Madeo from Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz. Both biologists, they were able to show that the endogenous substance spermidine triggers a cellular cleansing process, which is followed by an improvement in the memory performance of older fruit flies. At the molecular level, memory processes in animal organisms such as fruit flies and mice are similar to those in humans. The work by Sigrist and Madeo has potential for developing substances for treating age-related memory impairment. The study was first published in the online version of Nature Neuroscience.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-09-fruit-flies-spermidin-suppresses-age-dependent.html
NeuroscienceMon, 02 Sep 2013 10:20:02 EDTnews297334840Not guility: Parkinson and protein phosphorylationClues left at the scene of the crime don't always point to the guilty party, as EPFL researchers investigating Parkinson's disease have discovered. It is generally accepted that the disease is aggravated when a specific protein is transformed by an enzyme. The EPFL neuroscientists were able to show that, on the contrary, this transformation tends to protect against the progression of the disease. This surprising conclusion could radically change therapeutic approaches that are currently being developed by pharmaceutical companies. The research is to appear in an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-08-guility-parkinson-protein-phosphorylation.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersMon, 26 Aug 2013 15:00:03 EDTnews296735813Amyloid formation: Designer proteins light the way forwardInsight into the mechanism of protein aggregation provides a model system that could lead to treatments for several associated diseaseshttp://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-07-amyloid-formation-proteins.html
Medical researchWed, 17 Jul 2013 06:00:10 EDTnews293257739Fighting Alzheimer's disease with protein origamiAlzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative brain disease most commonly characterized by memory deficits. Loss of memory function, in particular, is known to be caused by neuronal damage arising from the misfolding of protein fragments in the brain. Now, a group of researchers led by Mizuo Maeda of the RIKEN Bioengineering Laboratory, and including researchers from the Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, has found that the human protein prefoldin can change the way these misfolded protein aggregates form and potentially reduce their toxic impact on the brains of Alzheimer's patients.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-07-alzheimer-disease-protein-origami.html
Alzheimer's disease & dementiaFri, 12 Jul 2013 09:19:49 EDTnews292839578Culprit implicated in neurodegenerative diseases also critical for normal cellsThe propensity of proteins to stick together in large clumps—termed "protein aggregation"—is the culprit behind a variety of conditions including Huntington's, Alzheimer's, and mad cow diseases. With this notoriety, protein aggregation is considered to be a bad accident of nature that happens when protein structure is mismanaged. But new research published online on June 13th in the Cell Press journal Developmental Cell shows that, when kept in balance, protein aggregation has beneficial functions that allow cells to organize themselves in both time and space. The findings will be valuable as researchers design treatments for diseases that involve this process.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-culprit-implicated-neurodegenerative-diseases-critical.html
Medical researchThu, 13 Jun 2013 12:00:32 EDTnews290343618From trauma to tau: Researchers tie brain injury to toxic form of proteinUniversity of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have uncovered what may be a key molecular mechanism behind the lasting damage done by traumatic brain injury.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-trauma-tau-brain-injury-toxic.html
NeuroscienceWed, 29 May 2013 17:34:04 EDTnews289067637Study shows how Parkinson's disease protein acts like a virusA protein known to be a key player in the development of Parkinson's disease is able to enter and harm cells in the same way that viruses do, according to a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-parkinson-disease-protein-virus.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersThu, 25 Apr 2013 17:00:01 EDTnews286122034Researchers untangle molecular pathology of giant axonal neuropathyGiant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is a rare genetic disorder that causes central and peripheral nervous system dysfunction. GAN is known to be caused by mutations in the gigaxonin gene and is characterized by tangling and aggregation of neural projections, but the mechanistic link between the genetic mutation and the effects on neurons is unclear.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-untangle-molecular-pathology-giant-axonal.html
NeuroscienceMon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00:08 EDTnews285240172The Parkinson's puzzle: Developing an assay to identify components in protein structures to aid diagnosis, treatmentAs part of a new initiative to speed the search for changes in the body that can help predict, diagnose, or monitor Parkinson's disease, a research team led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently received a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Scientists from PNNL, University of Miami, Baylor College of Medicine, and Rush University have teamed to identify new components of the Lewy bodies that accumulate in the brain during Parkinson's, and then use ultra-sensitive methods to see if any of these proteins have leaked into cerebrospinal fluid or blood.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-parkinson-puzzle-assay-components-protein.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersTue, 26 Mar 2013 08:50:02 EDTnews283505003Researchers identify Parkinson's disease link(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center have found that mitochondrial quality and functional capacity play an important role in Parkinson's disease.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-parkinson-disease-link.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersTue, 19 Mar 2013 08:05:21 EDTnews282899112Worming our way to new treatments for Alzheimer's diseaseAccording to a 2012 World Health Organization report, over 35 million people worldwide currently have dementia, a number that is expected to double by 2030 (66 million) and triple by 2050 (115 million). Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, has no cure and there are currently only a handful of approved treatments that slow, but do not prevent, the progression of symptoms.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-worming-treatments-alzheimer-disease.html
Alzheimer's disease & dementiaThu, 07 Mar 2013 11:02:51 EDTnews281876562Scientists identify 'clean-up' snafu that kills brain cells in Parkinson's diseaseResearchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered how the most common genetic mutations in familial Parkinson's disease damage brain cells. The study, which published online today in the journal Nature Neuroscience, could also open up treatment possibilities for both familial Parkinson's and the more common form of Parkinson's that is not inherited.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-scientists-clean-up-snafu-brain-cells.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersSun, 03 Mar 2013 13:00:18 EDTnews281520529New hope for early diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson'sFlinders University researchers have discovered that a protein in the brain may play a role in the development of Parkinson's disease – a common degenerative neurological disorder which affects the control of body movements.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-early-diagnosis-treatment-parkinson.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersFri, 15 Feb 2013 10:40:05 EDTnews280145163Study points to possible cause of, and treatment for, non-familial Parkinson'sColumbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have identified a protein trafficking defect within brain cells that may underlie common non-familial forms of Parkinson's disease. The defect is at a point of convergence for the action of at least three different genes that had been implicated in prior studies of Parkinson's disease. Whereas most molecular studies focus on mutations associated with rare familial forms of the disease, these findings relate directly to the common non-familial form of Parkinson's. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Neuron.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-treatment-non-familial-parkinson.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersWed, 06 Feb 2013 13:17:15 EDTnews279379025Type II diabetes and the Alzheimer's connectionA research team in Israel has devised a novel approach to identifying the molecular basis for designing a drug that might one day decrease the risk diabetes patients face of developing Alzheimer's disease. The team will present its work at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS), held Feb. 2-6, 2013, in Philadelphia, Pa.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-ii-diabetes-alzheimer.html
Alzheimer's disease & dementiaFri, 01 Feb 2013 16:44:17 EDTnews278959450Rice opens new window on Parkinson's disease(Medical Xpress)—Rice University scientists have discovered a new way to look inside living cells and see the insoluble fibrillar deposits associated with Parkinson's disease.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-rice-window-parkinson-disease.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersMon, 17 Dec 2012 07:07:29 EDTnews274950435New understanding can lead to srategies for dealing with neurodegenerative diseasesA new understanding of what takes place on the cellular level during the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS and Huntington's diseases, offers promise towards possible new strategies for combating such diseases, say Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-srategies-neurodegenerative-diseases.html
Medical researchThu, 06 Dec 2012 10:44:36 EDTnews274013065Researchers find chemical 'switches' for neurodegenerative diseasesBy using a model, researchers at the University of Montreal have identified and "switched off" a chemical chain that causes neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and dementia. The findings could one day be of particular therapeutic benefit to Huntington's disease patients.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-chemical-neurodegenerative-diseases.html
NeuroscienceTue, 27 Nov 2012 04:50:39 EDTnews273214228Cell contents may be key to controlling toxicity of Huntington's disease proteinNew research into the cell-damaging effects of Huntington's disease suggests a potentially new approach for identifying possible therapeutic targets for treating the nerve-destroying disorder.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-cell-contents-key-toxicity-huntington.html
GeneticsWed, 06 Jun 2012 10:50:42 EDTnews258198628Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy may be used to predict Parkinson'sTwo studies by neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggest that, in the future, colonic tissue obtained during either colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy may be used to predict who will develop Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder of aging that that leads to progressive deterioration of motor function due to loss of neurons in the brain that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential to executing movement.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-colonoscopy-flexible-sigmoidoscopy-parkinson.html
Parkinson's & Movement disordersTue, 15 May 2012 15:00:01 EDTnews256299941